Garda sergeants and inspectors are considering taking industrial action if their pay is not increased, the head of their representative group has said.
Mr George Maybury, general secretary of the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors, said members of the force were unhappy that their efforts to tackle crime were not reflected in their pay packets.
"The politicians, including the Minister for Justice Mr O'Donoghue, have reaped the benefits of the success of the gardai in reducing crime rates. But the gardai are actually losing out on basic pay," he said.
"If the politicians are not prepared to pay a fair rate of pay for the successful work of the gardai, then they will have only themselves to blame if things start to go wrong. It is a ridiculous situation when Garda basic pay has been allowed to drop to almost £2,000 below that of a prison officer."